Pumpkin Cookie Bars
Pumpkin is a fall treat. I’m sure there are people that eat it year round but I am not that person. I love eating it as something special in the fall. This fall, in particular, I’ve done a terrible job of making anything pumpkin. Normally by now we’ve at least had a fresh loaf of pumpkin bread. Now, just a few days before Thanksgiving, I decided it was time for pumpkin. I whipped up these pumpkin cookie bars and they were amazing!
Pumpkin Puree vs. Pumpkin Pie Filling
Before we get into the recipe I want to make sure to clarify this. The recipe is made with canned pumpkin not pumpkin pie filling. They tend to be right next to each other on the shelf and can be easily mixed up. I’ve been so close to grabbing the pumpkin pie filling several times. The biggest difference is that the pie filling has extras added to it. It’s made so that you can put it into a crust, bake it, and your pumpkin pie is done. Pumpkin puree is just that. It’s pumpkins that have been pureed with nothing else added to it. They will have completely different flavors and slightly different texture.
Chocolate Chips
I chose to use dark chocolate chips in this recipe. To be honest, I think any sort of chocolate chips will be good in it. I prefer dark chocolate in anything that I make so that is what I opted for. Part of me wants to be brave and throw some white chocolate chips in there. Maybe one day I’ll get brave enough to try it!
Ingredients For Pumpkin Cookie Bars
- 2 ½ cups flour
- ¾ cup cane sugar
- ⅓ cup sucanat (or brown sugar)
- 12 oz can of pumpkin puree
- ½ cup butter (melted)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 2 eggs
- Bag of chocolate chips
Mix your dry ingredients (flour, sugar, sucanat, baking soda, baking powder, salt) and set aside. Mix your wet ingredients (pumpkin, melted butter, eggs) and gradually beat in the dry ingredients. Once these are mixed well, fold in the chocolate chips. Pour into a greased pan. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.
Additional Notes
- I mix everything together at once. Per usual I don’t think you need to separate wet and dry ingredients. I’ve done it both ways and, in my professional opinion, it works just as well to mix it all together at once. Just don’t use the beater on your chocolate chips, make sure to fold them in.
- I typically use a 9×13 pan for these and it makes a super thick cookie. If we are looking for thinner cookies I will use a larger jelly roll pan. On the next round I want to try to bake them in a cookie pizza form too! I’m sure it will work just fine.
- You don’t have to add the pumpkin pie spice but I highly recommend it. Surprisingly, it doesn’t add an overwhelmingly pumpkin pie taste. It’s just a little added flavor that emphasizes the pumpkin.
These pumpkin cookie bars are the perfect treat for a cool fall day. When they are warm with ooey gooey chocolate they are even better. What is your favorite way to enjoy pumpkin in the fall?
Pumpkin Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 Cups Flour
- 3/4 Cup Cane Sugar
- 1/3 Cup Sucanat Can also use brown sugar.
- 12 oz Pumpkin Puree
- 1/2 Cup Butter
- 1 Tsp Baking Soda
- 1 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 Tsp Salt
- 1/2 Tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice Optional
- 2 Eggs
- 12 oz Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
- Beat all of your wet ingredients together.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mixing well.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into greased 9×9 pan.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.
